Emergency department

The National Government should have built an addiction and mental health centre in Gisborne. Anne Tolley was the minister of police and she lived in Gisborne for quite a few years. She would have known Gisborne had high unemployment, high rates of crime, drug use, family violence and alcohol and mental health problems.

People were told to go to Rotorua for help. The Rotorua centre was full most of the time. Tauranga does not have the serious problems for all of these as Gisborne does.

Todd Muller wanted a 24/7 medical centre in Papamoa; 24/7 medical centres are usually privately owned and too expensive for most people. That is why they go to the public Tauranga Hospital.

Todd Muller and Judy Killalea [The Weekend Sun July 26, p4] organised a petition to get a 24/7 centre which failed. They should have first checked with the Labour Government if the Government ever funds this type of centre.

Small districts sometimes have them, like Waimakariri and the Government most probably funds them as there is no public hospital in that area.